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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26155960">By Your Side</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wylburyn/pseuds/Wylburyn'>Wylburyn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>I'm not sorry, M/M, Magic Is a Thing, Medieval-ish, Multi, i want to live in a place where hashirama is king, iruka as a prince, kakashi as a bodyguard? sign me up</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:06:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,581</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26155960</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wylburyn/pseuds/Wylburyn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Iruka, as the nephew of the King, Hashirama, is appointed the successor and is not amused about it. Now, he has to be protected 24/7 and as someone who is stubborn and quite hot-headed, Iruka is appalled by the idea of having to be protected. When he finds out that the man leading the group that is supposed to protect him is a man with the name of Kakashi Hatake, Iruka finds himself annoyed at the man's smug and arrogant character as well as the fact that he is quite a sight to see.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>By Your Side</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>comments are always very welcome,<br/>I hope you enjoyed this first (short-ish) chapter of this fic!! I hope to continue this fic quite regularly (I have this thing mapped out in my head already and i cant wait to write it!).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I hardly thing that this is necessary,” he said in a bitter tone.</p><p>His closest advisor sighed heavily; his forehead laid in lines. Iruka knew full well that the man was annoyed with him, his reluctance to accept the decision made by the counsel and yet Iruka was determined to give in. “I do not need a protector. I can protect myself just fine. Ten years of training is not to be underestimated.”</p><p>“Iruka, this is not something you could handle and these men have been trained their whole lives. They exist only to serve this purpose,” Tenzou said, his eyes hard.</p><p>Iruka narrowed his eyes at his good friend he had grown up with and locked his arms in front of his chest, turning away from the big oval table made of marble. He strode to the big open window that overlooked the big garden behind the palace. There were some people working on the bushes that looked so perfect it almost hurt to look at them, the grass cut so even it seemed unreal. Everything was perfect, every flower, every shrub, every little pebble. It was all perfect, all so expensive. Iruka took a deep breath. This whole place made him feel uneasy. He had only been here for two weeks, a trip that had to be made, an important meeting with the king, his uncle. Since neither him nor his husband had ever fathered a child, the succession had been made clear: Iruka would become king one day, if he liked it or not.</p><p>“This is unnecessary,” Iruka repeated, although he knew he had to give in eventually. He had to get back home, away from this perfectness that surrounded this place.</p><p>Tenzou got up from his chair and Iruka turned around. “I know you do not like it but it will happen either way. The men will arrive tomorrow so I suggest you get used to the thought of it,” he said in a gentle tone. With that, he bowed his head ever so slightly and left the light-flooded room.</p><p>The noise of the door closing eased up Iruka’s tenseness, his arms falling loosely beside his body. The anxiety that had been silently simmering at the back of his head consumed him slowly, like ice-cold waves washing over him in a cruel slowness. He had never wanted to be king and yet here he was, knowing that someday in the future, he would have to sit upon a throne and govern a country. And what then? He would have to, somehow, lead a whole country, millions of people. He rubbed his forehead and tried to breathe in a steady pace. He stood there for a few minutes before exiting the room, leaving behind all thoughts of being a kind, shoving the uneasy feelings aside, trying to focus on something more pleasant. The guards stood still on each side of the double door as he strode past them into the long hallway, absolute silence as he made his way to his uncle’s study. The guards bowed their heads as they opened the doors.</p><p>The room was grant, ceiling high windows that looked over the lake and the woods, blood-red curtains, furniture made of the most expensive wood and his uncle sitting at the desk in the middle of the room, the sunlight against his back. Hashirama smiled and put the book he had been reading to the side.</p><p>“Iruka!” he said and gestured to one of the sofas that stood off to the side of the room by the big fireplace. “sit, sit.”</p><p>Iruka nodded and sat down, watched as his uncle came over to sit on the sofa just opposite. His dark brown hair was put into a formal bun at the nape of his neck as usual during the day, but Iruka had found that when they were dining, his uncle wore his hair down. Iruka also wore his brown hair up in a ponytail but he rarely wore it down as he did.</p><p>“Uncle,” Iruka sighed. “I do not intend to offend but I was just informed by Tenzou that you are planning on hiring men to escort me back to my home and I would like to say that it is quite unneeded.”</p><p>Hashirama’s lips turned to a knowing smile. There was tea brough to the low table between them by a servant. Hashirama thanked him and took a sip of the tea while pondering Iruka’s words.</p><p>“I know you are not weak, Iruka. But you will be king someday as you are my only descendant so you are important not only to us but also the country and I cannot and will not leave you without protection.”</p><p>Iruka scoffed and ignored the tea. “I understand that b-“</p><p>“If you do understand then I do not know why we are having this conversation,” Hashirama interjected. “I know you do not like it and I apologize for that, you know I do consider your wishes and feelings but this is not to be discussed.”</p><p>Hashirama was kind and gentle in nature and Iruka knew he meant well with his words, yet they made Iruka furious. All his life he had been made to feel weak, as if he were breakable, as if he would simply die if the winds were to rough. He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, instead balling his hands into fists. Why was he so angry? He was a smart young man. He knew his uncle was right, as well as Tenzou. He was supposed to be the next king. He needed to face this destiny that had been placed upon him even if he wished to dearly that he could somehow disappear into the woods and never come out again.</p><p>“Who are these men anyways?” he inquired, trying to manage the angry flare in his voice. Hashirama raised his brows, evidence that he was aware of the anger.</p><p>“They are from up north, a group of very talented individuals. They were all orphans once, found by the one who then took them in to train them. Apparently they are raised to follow orders and with a strong sense of loyalty,” he explained his eyes seemingly unhappy about the conditions surrounding these men. Iruka looked to the tea that was meant for him and wondered what those men had been through to become these highly qualified protectors.</p><p>“I wish this were not necessary,” Hashirama continued with a sigh. “But it is. Madara told me to get you more than just these five, but I insisted that you’d be furious enough with a handful.”</p><p>“Your husband has always been quite dramatic,” Iruka smiled, a true smile as he thought of his uncle’s husband. Iruka had always enjoyed his complex personality, a man of dramatic behavior and dry humor, a man that had always been the one to help Hashirama make the difficult decisions.</p><p>Hashirama laughed and nodded. “I agree.”</p><p>After a few seconds of silence, Iruka took the cup of tea und drank it quickly, the hot liquid rushing down his throat.</p><p>“I suppose I will meet them tomorrow then,” he said at last. “I am sorry for my rude behavior, uncle.” Hashirama waved his hands in the air.</p><p>“No need to apologize, I know this is not what you have wished for, Iruka. I do appreciate you accepting all of this.” He gestured around the room but Iruka knew he meant the whole palace, the kingdom, the heavy burden of being a king, even if it was years away.</p><p>“Do me a favor then,” Iruka said with a wink. “Stay alive for as long as possible, yes?” Again, Hashirama laughed loudly, the kind of laugh that made Iruka smile widely.</p><p>“I will do my very best.”</p><p>~~</p><p>That night, Iruka laid restlessly in his bed, the covers shoved to the end of it, his body growing cold, but he did not care. His eyes were closed; he could not stop to imagine the next day. How it would go, how he would lose his freedom forever. Always followed by someone, never alone. He remembered how he had loathed being alone when he had been a child, right when his parents had died in the accident, how he had screamed and sobbed every time he had been left in a room alone. He had been brought here then, to his uncles who had welcomed him with open arms. The fear of being alone had faded over time. Here, the halls of this place, were always filled with people. Hashirama and Madara were admirers of luxurious gatherings, always inviting people for extravagant dinners. Here, Iruka had been rarely alone. Servants had always followed him, wanting to grant him every wish, tutors trying to teach him everything there was to know, the swordsmen teaching him how to use a sword. Iruka had, one night, realized that it had not been the general proximity of people he had so wished for as a child but the wish for his parents to return. He missed them, every day and still did. The coldness now seeped into his body in an uncomfortable way and he took the covers and put them over himself, wishing the morning to come more swiftly. As his body began to warm up slowly, he tried to make himself fall asleep by imagining a life in which he was no prince, no person of interest, just a simple man with a simple life.</p>
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